The Prodigy
by counting ufos
Summary: Ginny and Draco meet at a Ministry event to celebrate Voldemort's downfall. There, Draco meets Darien, Ginny's adopted son. Soon after that, Draco finds his world turned upside down as he races against time to ensure the fate of the wizarding world. [DMGW
1. Prologue

'ello. well, i have a note in my profile...so i won't put it here. just...look there.

this doesn't follow Deathly Hallows.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter not mine. boo.

anyways, i hope you enjoy my new storeh.

_Chapter 1 -- Prologue_

Draco Malfoy walked into the New Year's Eve party with a usual bored expression on his face. The party was being held by a former Slytherin classmate of his, Marcus Flint. Even though Draco detested the troll-faced brute, he wouldn't pass up a chance to go to a party where he could meet some female or another to take home with him. Though he would most likely never commit, he still thought it nice to wake up with a woman's body beside him.

As he moved around the vast ballroom, many eyes, mostly female, turned to him. Draco, after all, was a very handsome young man. He had stunning mercury eyes, platinum blonde hair, strong facial features, and a lean build. The ones looking at him weren't just checking out his good looks, however. Draco had arrived to a party, hosted by a _wizard_, dressed in a Muggle style suit. From some, he gained confused looks. From most, disgusted looks. Even after the Dark Lord was vanquished, a lot of high class wizards carried out his ideas, although with little to no brutal action.

Draco actually couldn't care less what people thought about what he was wearing. He looked good in the suit and to hell with anyone who actually thought otherwise. He formally walked towards the host, Flint, and shook his hand. "Evening, Flint. Fine gathering you've got here," he said with an indifferent tone in his voice.

Flint raised a very bushy eyebrow. "Evening, yourself, Malfoy." He glanced down at Draco's wardrobe. "Glad you could make it."

Draco nodded and walked away, towards where a house elf was serving champagne. After taking a flute, he casually leaned against the wall and scoped out the room. He saw many, many attractive females at the party, and recognized a few of them. There was a raven-haired vixen he remembered from Hogwarts, Daphne Greengrass. She was currently talking with Theodore Nott, a Slytherin that was in Draco's year. She looked up and saw Draco staring at her. He smirked and she grinned and winked at him. His eyes then moved on to a brunette he didn't recognize. She was conversing with Blaise Zabini, a good friend of Draco's. He continued to watch the brown-haired woman. She was on the tall side, maybe 5'6", and she had a thin, yet curvy, figure. Her eyes were a piercing blue and her skin was a light bronze. As she laughed at something Blaise had said, he saw how her beautiful her smile was. As Draco made his way towards them, he knew the first thing he would be doing in the New Year.

He walked up to his dark-skinned friend. "Hey Zabini, not bothering this pretty lady, are you?" She laughed again and Draco grinned to himself.

"Hey yourself, Malfoy. How long's it been, mate? Since Graduation?" Blaise asked. "And I don't even get a proper greeting!" He sounded indignant.

Draco frowned. "If you're expecting a hug..."

Blaise laughed. "No, no. I'm just messing around." He clapped Draco on the shoulder. "It's good to see you after almost five years."

"Likewise," Draco responded. "So, who is your lady friend?" He returned his attention to the brunette, who was watching the exchange with amusement.

"Oh, this is Kendra. Kendra Meyer. Kendra, meet Draco Malfoy," he gestured between the two.

Kendra raised her hand, "Pleased to meet you, Draco."

He kissed her knuckles lightly. "Pleasure's all mine."

She briefly looked him over. "I like what you're wearing. Armani?"

He looked shocked, if even for a moment. "Yes. And you look gorgeous yourself," he responded as he looked at her ruby red robes. "Would you like some champagne?"

Kendra smiled at him. "That would be lovely."

As Draco turned towards the drinks table, he smirked. _Oh yes_, he thought,_ I will be bringing 2003 in with a 'bang.'_ He chuckled lightly at his pun just before returning to Kendra.

!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!

Ginny Weasley got out of the bed and promptly wrapped a robe around herself.

"Oh, don't be so modest, Gin!" Harry called from the other side of the bed.

She blushed. "Harry, do you want me to check or not?"

He sighed. "Yes, just hurry it up. I'm starting to get all anxious."

Ginny entered the bathroom, grabbed her wand and pointed it at her abdomen. After reciting the spell, her abdomen gave off a benign greyish glow.

Incensed, she flung her wand out of the bathroom, hitting Harry from where he still lay in the bed. "Gin?" he called. "Everything okay?"

"No everything is not bloody okay! It's still negative!" she screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks. She slumped to the ground, her back against the tub. Drawing her knees up to her chest, Ginny put her head on top of them and cried softly.

Shortly Harry joined her and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him. "Gin, it's okay. We can just keep trying--"

"Harry! We've been married for two years and we've never stopped trying! There's something seriously wrong here," she sobbed.

Harry rubbed her back and whispered soothing words to her.

After she had calmed down, they went back to bed to talk. "Ginny, sometime this week we can go to St. Mungo's and talk to a Healer, just to make sure everything's in order," Harry suggested.

Ginny sniffled. "Okay, Harry. How about on the third?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, that's fine." He smiled reassuringly at her. "Everything will work out, Gin." He kissed her temple. "I promise."

She snuggled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest. "Goodnight, Harry."

"Night, Gin." He kissed the top of her head. "I love you."

"Love you too," she mumbled into his chest.

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A/N: reviews are appreciated. don't worry, i'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible.

in case you couldn't figure it out, Ginny and Harry are having trouble getting pregnant. don't worry, it will be DG eventually.

kthnks


	2. Summer Solstice

Well, here goes. enjoy.

italics indicate flashback. word.

**read:** the prologue took place on new year's eve of 2003 (12/31/02). This is now 2006.

Chapter 2--Summer Solstice

Ginny stepped out of the shower and quickly dried herself off. After wiping the steam from the mirror, she looked at her reflection. Her scarlet hair fell in waves just past her shoulder blades. Her eyes were chocolate brown and she laughed as she remembered an encounter she had with a drunk Muggle. He had told her that her eyes looked like big M&M's, some Muggle candy, she figured, and that he wanted to eat them right up. She remembered how she had jokingly asked him if he was a cannibal, and he practically had a conniption trying to figure out what the word 'cannibal' meant.

Ginny continued her scrutiny by looking at her body. She was short, 5'4" at the most, and she had an athletic figure, with subtle curves that made her look more appealing. With the towel still wrapped around her, Ginny walked into her bedroom and opened the wardrobe. In a few short hours' time, she would be attending the Seventh Annual Summer Solstice Ball held by the Ministry. They had held it to celebrate the downfall of Voldemort. The Dark Lord was defeated on June 21, 1999, by none other than Harry Potter. Hermione and Ron had went along with Harry to destroy the remaining Horcruxes in their Seventh Year, abandoning Ginny. She didn't mind; she had made great friends with Luna Lovegood and a girl from Quidditch, Demelza Robbins.

Before his departure, Harry had asked Ginny to wait for her, and she obliged, although a bit stubbornly. He returned for the Final Battle in which Ginny had played a crucial role. Essentially, she was being used as bait for the Dark Lord; he would see Harry's girlfriend and use her to get to him. Though surrounding Ginny, there were a half-dozen Disillusioned Aurors surrounding her and they chorused a Stunning spell so strong that not even Lord Voldemort could stop it. Then Harry killed him, and everything was great. After Ginny's final year at Hogwarts, Harry had asked her to marry him, and she said yes. Everything was picture perfect, until one fateful day almost three and a half years ago...

_Harry and Ginny walked hand in hand to the Fertility Clinic in St. Mungo's. After trying for so long to conceive, they decided that they should talk to a Healer to figure out what was wrong. They sat down in Healer Sims' office and she gave them the standard speech about how fertilization works. She explained how she would wave her wand over each of them, and if it glowed green, then they were fertile. If not, it would glow red. _

_Ginny went first. "Okay," Healer Sims said soothingly, "I'm just going to wave my wand, say the incantation, and either color will glow from your abdomen. Ready?"_

_Ginny gulped. "Yeah," she croaked out. She was exceedingly nervous. What if she could never produce a child?_

_The Healer waved her wand and said the incantation. Ginny looked down and saw that her abdomen was glowing green. Delighted, she practically jumped on the Healer and thanked her. _

_Harry's turn was next. The Healer repeated the process and Ginny gasped. Harry was glowing red. _

_"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter," the Healer said. "I know this is very hard for you two." _

_Ginny had her face buried in her hands and she was crying silently. Harry was just too shocked to have any sort of reaction. _

_"We have alternatives," the Healer continued. "There are donors so Mrs. Potter could produce a child. There is also adoption." She handed a couple of pamphlets to Harry and he took them blindly. After a few moments of awkward silence, Harry stormed out of the Healer's office. _

_Ginny stood to follow him. "Thank you for your help, Healer Sims," she sniffled._

_Sims looked at her apologetically. "Please, consider our options, Mrs. Potter."_

_Ginny nodded mutely and went after Harry. _

When Ginny had found Harry, he was in their flat, on a rampage. He was convinced that the Healer did it wrong, that the spell got switched and _Ginny_ was the one who was infertile. They fought for several months; Harry would not agree to adopt and he would never have his Ginny carry another man's child. Incensed, Ginny brought up the idea of divorce one day, after Harry had said, "What's the point of being married if we can't even have a child?" Of course, he was being completely tactless and not thinking about what he was saying, but she had had enough. They got divorced in August of 2003, right before Ginny's 21st birthday, where she proceeded to get smashed with Demelza. Ginny had also decided to go back to being a Weasley, instead of staying Ginny Potter.

After rummaging in her wardrobe for the longest time, Ginny finally found the dress she would be wearing to the ball. It was a simple powder blue strapless gown. The ball only required formal dress, not necessarily dress robes. She laid the dress on her bed and looked at her watch. It was about 4:15, and the ball started at 6:00. She decided that she might as well wake Darien from his nap and get him ready for the ball as well.

Darien James Weasley was Ginny's adopted son. After her divorce from Harry, she decided to intern at St. Mungo's to become a Healer in the Maternity ward. She figured if she couldn't have her own child, then she could be around with them all the time. In early October of 2003, a woman came in as she was about to give birth. She was so far in labor that the Healers didn't bother with paperwork or identification. They just delivered the baby as soon as possible. After the baby was born, the mother still wouldn't speak. She didn't name the baby or give her own name. The baby boy was taken to the nursery and the Healers left the mother alone to get sorted out because she didn't appear to be in a right mental state. When they went to find her, she was gone. The baby was put up for adoption and Ginny, enraged that the beautiful boy was abandoned the way he was, adopted him on the spot. She even got to name him and everything. He kept the name Weasley because when they did a paternity charm, they could find nothing. They thought the child must be a Squib or Muggleborn. The former was ruled out when the baby caused the Healer's pants to fall off.

So Ginny kept Darien and she loved being a mother, even though she was a single mother. He would be turning three this fall (October 4th). She always brought him to the Summer Solstice ball because everyone loved to see him. He was the most gorgeous little boy in the world, in Ginny's opinion. He had dark, chocolate brown hair and steel blue eyes. His skin was a light olive tone. He was also very charismatic and was showing strong signs of magic already.

Ginny made her way to Darien's bedroom to see that he was sitting on his bed and staring at the clock in wonderment. She glanced at the clock and saw that the minute and hour hands were spinning around very fast. Soon, Ginny was practically hypnotized by the movement of the clock hands.

"Mummy!" Darien exclaimed, and she was broken from her trance. He leapt off the bed and ran into Ginny's arms.

"Dary! How was your nap, sweetheart?"

"Boring," he pouted.

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "So, you didn't nap, did you?"

Darien gave her puppy dog eyes. "Mummy I wasn't tired. Why couldn't Abby come over to play?"

Ginny sighed. Abby was Ron and Hermione's daughter. She was born a month before Darien. "Because, honey, Abby has nap time, just like you're supposed to." She gave him a mischievous look. "Since you didn't take your nap, I guess I'll just have to punish you!" she said, as she lunged for him. She restrained him easily and began to tickle him.

He was laughing so hard that he began gasping for breath. "Mum! Okay, okay I'll nap tomorrow, stop!"

She stopped tickling him and kissed him on the nose. "That's my boy. Okay, time for your bath so we can get ready to go to the big people party." He gave her a hopeful look and she answered his unasked question. "Yes, Abby will be there. Now come on, mister."

After his bath, Ginny dressed Darien in his little toddler tuxedo. She combed his hair and he looked ready to go. She told him to behave while she got ready, so he wouldn't ruin his appearance. It's not that she cared so much about appearances, but she liked it when her little boy looked nice.

At quarter to six, Ginny was running around her kitchen to find something old to make a Portkey out of. She got permission to make a Portkey last week from the Ministry, but she just needed something to use. Finally, she settled on using an old grocery list. Pointing her wand at it, she muttered '_Portus_' before it glowed and settled back to it's original state. "Come on, Darien!" she called. "You don't want to keep Abby waiting!"

Darien scrambled into the room and grabbed his mom's hand. She held out the Portkey to him and he held it with his other hand. After a moment, they could feel the pull behind their navel as they traveled to the Ministry of Magic.

!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!

Draco entered the ball at about 6:30. He was dressed in a Muggle style tuxedo, his hair wasn't slicked back, but it was well kept. His silver eyes scanned the room as he looked for familiar faces. He saw Parvati Patil with a bittersweet expression on her face. He then realized that it was because she had lost her twin, Padma, in the final battle. He also saw Weasley with his wife, Granger. He also recognized their daughter, _Allison? Anna? Abigail, that's it_. The daughter, of course, had the Weasley hair and freckles, but she had Granger's eyes. It appeared that Abigail was playing with a boy about her age, whom Draco didn't recognize.

He sauntered over to the refreshment table to a glass of water. He wasn't much of a drinker anymore; after one too many hangovers, he decided to sober up a bit. He stood off to the side a bit and continued with one of his favorite activities: people observing.

He was watching as Granger began to lecture Weasley about something, when somebody bumped into him. "I'm sorry! Here, do you want me to do a drying spell for you?"

Draco looked over at the somebody who had bumped into him. Apparently, Ginny Weasley had clumsily bumped into him and spilled his water all over the front of his tux. He stared at her in confusion. "Weasel, are you aware as to who you are talking to?"

Ginny stared back at him. "Yeah, you're Draco Malfoy, playboy extraordinaire, and immature schoolboy who uses fifth grade insults when he's in his twenties."

Draco feigned hurt. "Weasley, you wound me. I was just looking out for your mental well-being, after all. I mean, with so many of you Weasleys, I wasn't sure if you remembered your own name so I just used a general term to address you."

Ginny glared at him. "What, you think that us Weasleys are stupid? At least we know how to choose the winning side of the war." She paused. "Well, not you in particular, but the rest of you Malfoys," she waved a hand.

He grimaced. "Touché. Well, considering how you just practically assaulted me, you just aren't graceful, now are you?"

"Graceful? Merlin, no," she laughed. She thought for a second. "Although, I could be very sophisticated if I tried."

Draco snorted. "You? Sophisticated? Let's see then." He crossed his arms and waited.

"Well, first introduce yourself to me." He raised an eyebrow at her and she glared. "Just do it."

He sighed exasperatedly. "Hi. I'm Draco Malfoy."

She cleared her throat and put on a fake smile. "Draco Malfoy! I'm Ginevra Weasley and I'm so pleased to make your acquaintance." She took a sip of her drink and proceeded to inhale some of it, and began coughing and spluttering. Once her airway was clear, she began to laugh.

Draco looked at her with a wary expression. "You're insane, aren't you?"

Ginny stopped laughing. "Merlin, I wish I was." She took a deep breath. "So, Draco Malfoy. What have you been doing all these years?" she said, trying to engage him in casual conversation.

He shrugged. "Well, not much. A little bit of this, little of that. I'm sort of an entrepeneur. What about you?" he asked with a polite indifference.

"Wow, little Draco Malfoy has finally grown up. Actually having a conversation with a Weasley." He glared at her and she answered his question. "Oh, I work at St. Mungo's, in the Maternity ward. I deliver babies," she said. "So how about you? Got a wife, kids, whole nine yards?"

Draco's eyes widened. "Merlin, no. I don't think I could handle the commitment." At that, Ginny snorted. "What about you? Weren't you Mrs. Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Die once upon a time?"

Ginny sighed sadly. "Indeed."

He was about to ask her to elaborate, but he caught himself. _What am I doing? Discussing personal lives with a _Weasley, he thought to himself. _An attractive Weasley at that_, he added as he looked her up and down.

"Mummy!" Draco looked up to see Ginny whirling around and catching the little boy he had seen earlier in her arms.

"Weasley, I didn't know you had a kid," he said before he could stop himself.

She stood to face him with Darien positioned on her right hip. "Well, yes, I do have a son," she said proudly. "This is Darien James Weasley. Darien, this is Draco Malfoy." She turned to Draco. "Isn't he adorable?"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking to me or the kid?" She glared at him and he smirked before turning to Darien. "Nice to meet you, Darien."

"Nice to meet you, too, Draco Malfoy," Darien responded politely.

Draco looked astonished. "How old is this kid?" he asked Ginny.

"He'll be three in October, why?"

"I don't know, just he seems very mature for his age, the way he can talk and stuff. Has he showed signs of magic yet?"

Ginny laughed. "You bet. Since the day he was born, actually. He made the Healer's pants fall off." She put Darien down and told him to go play with Abby.

Draco quickly checked her out again. "Weasley, you don't look like you had a kid.'

Ginny smiled. "I guess I'll take that as a compliment. But no, I didn't have him, I adopted him. While I was interning at the hospital, some woman showed up, had the kid, and left spontaneously. She left no name, no identification and they couldn't trace his bloodline to the father. Poor dear, he was probably the result of some one-night stand that went awry. But, I love him and he's the greatest thing that's happened to me, so I guess I'm a happy camper." She sighed sadly. "It just breaks my heart that he'll never know his real parents. They must have been powerful Purebloods for him to be showing the magical strength that he does. I just don't understand why anyone would want to abandon their child, though."

Draco nodded, a bit uncomfortable. "Well, I see an old comrade of mine, so I must be going."

"Okay. So, I guess it was nice to see you again?" she said awkwardly.

"Sure. See you around, Weasley," with that, he walked away.

!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!

Harry looked over to where Ginny was talking to Malfoy, and he stared at the kid that she had just put down. It made him so angry that she had adopted a kid, even though they were already divorced. It was difficult for him, though, because deep down he knew that the spell wasn't faulty and that he was incapable of producing a child. He could never bring himself to talk to her, because he didn't want to see the boy. He hadn't talked to Ginny in almost three years, so as Malfoy walked away form her, he decided that three years was too long.

He walked over to where Ginny was still standing by the refreshment table, and he saw how beautiful she looked. He mentally cursed himself for leaving her. "Ginny," he said as he approached her.

She looked up at him, shocked. "Harry, hi. How are you?"

He shrugged. "All right, I guess." He scanned the room as he tried to find a topic to talk about. "So, you work at the hospital right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I deliver babies," she said, looking down. "How about you? How's Auror life?"

"Kind of boring, really. Just minor infractions of the law here and there. Nothing exciting."

Then, she brought up the one thing he was dreading. "Have you met Darien?"

Harry looked at her morosely and shook his head, not trusting his voice at the moment.

Ginny stepped forward and put a hand on his arm. "Harry, I'm sorry. If you don't want to meet him, I understand."

"No, Ginny, you don't understand," he lashed out. Ginny stepped back, her eyes wide. "You don't know what it feels like, waking up every day and knowing that you will never have something as beautiful as a child. You could never understand it, Ginny, so don't give me this bullshit sympathy."

That last statement angered Ginny. "Harry, I _do_ understand, you dunderhead. I felt that way when we were married, when we would try over and over again to have a child and it just seemed that there was no hope for us. I care about you, Harry and I can _partially_ understand what you're going through, so there's no need to bite my head off because you're emotionally unstable," she snapped. Then she gasped. "Harry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that last--"

"Save it, Ginny," he growled before stalking away.

Tears gathered in Ginny's eyes and she walked to the Ladies' Room, trusting that Hermione would watch Darien while she was gone.

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A/N: well, this chapter is purdy long. so we met darien. yayyyyy. lollipops to anyone who can guess who darien's parents are.

reviews are appreciated :D


	3. Neighbors

thanks for the reviews folks :D

to harrypotterchick4ever--interesting guess. and yes, i said that they should have been able to trace it, but it didn't work. that plot hole will be filled, however. no worries :D

Chapter 3--Neighbors

Surprisingly, Draco did not bring somebody home with him to take to his bed after the Ball. It was the Seventh Annual, and Draco thought that the novelty had worn off a bit. Every year it was the same thing. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the current Minister of Magic, would go up to the front and start talking about the dedication that the opposition had shown in the Final Battle against Lord Voldemort. Draco couldn't help but get into a sour mood whenever Kingsley brought up Wonder Boy and his sidekicks and how they had defeated Voldemort.

Now Draco wasn't an expert, but his father had told him about the Horcruxes that Tom Riddle had made and used to become immortal. Him and his father had always had an interesting relationship. He didn't hate the man, but he didn't exactly like him, either. He was, after all, his father, despite the irrational choices he had made in his life. Draco never really latched on to the whole Death Eater idea; he preferred to be an individual and not run by some monster. He had been his own sort of ringleader at Hogwarts, and he never wanted to work for anybody.

Although, in Draco's sixth year, he had been manipulated by the Dark Lord. After his father's failure at the Department of Mysteries, Voldemort decided to take it out on Draco and have him kill Dumbledore, or else he would kill Narcissa. Draco loved his mother and he did not want her to be killed because he acted like a coward. Don't get him wrong, he didn't want to be a follower of the Dark Lord, but to him, and his pride, running away and being a coward was worse. So, he took the Dark Mark and attempted to kill Dumbledore, for his mother's life. Despite his efforts, Snape eventually was the one to kill Dumbledore. Then, Snape had dragged Draco along and had been on the run until the Final Battle. When they arrived, they immediately began fighting alongside the Order and the Ministry. Draco had taken down many Death Eaters, including Crabbe and Goyle Srs., Dolohov, and a number of others. Snape had killed Bellatrix, much to the pleasure of Draco. He had never really like his Aunt that much; she was a bit too insane for his liking.

Lucius had also fallen in the Final Battle. He had escaped from Azkaban after Dumbledore's murder and fought with his fellow Death Eaters. Supposedly, Harry Potter had been the one to kill him in order to get to Voldemort. It had been tough for Draco to not kill Potter on the spot. He didn't love his father, but he held a deep respect for him. For seven years, Draco had struggled to not go after Potter, and it had been especially hard at the Ball the previous evening.

Currently, Draco was sitting in his flat in London. He could have stayed at the Manor, and Draco is not a sentimentalist, but, it held too many memories for him. His mother had died two years after Lucius, and it was too much for him to bear. She had become extremely depressed after her husband's death and she basically became a shell of a human being. Eventually, exhaustion and starvation took her life, no matter how hard Draco tried to help her. The only person he had loved in his life was now dead.

Draco sighed deeply and stood from his sofa in the small living room of his flat. He stretched, and grabbed his empty mug of tea from the table and walked to the kitchen to put it in the sink. Looking at the clock, he noticed that he had an hour and a half to get ready for work. Draco owned his own business; over the past few years, he had gathered all the books he could find in the manor, as well as his own collections and he opened a library in Diagon Alley that was about half the size of Hogwarts' and growing. Also, for his library, he had developed a system that helps readers find the books they need quicker. They would fill out a piece of parchment that asks what kind of things they're looking for in a book, and a selection of books would appear for them. Hogwarts had payed for Draco to install his system in the school library to make it easier for the students to do their research, as well as a number of rich families who had vast libraries in their mansions.

As Draco showered, he stared at his left forearm. There was a faint outline of the Dark Mark. It wasn't inky black like it was when Voldemort was at large, but it was still a scar that he would have to live with for the rest of his life. He finished his shower and dressed in a black suit. During his time of hiding out with Snape, he had lived as a Muggle and he decided that he liked the way the businessmen had dressed. He thought it looked a lot more professional than traditional wizarding robes.

Draco stepped into the hallway and grabbed his wand so he could set the wards, after making sure there were no Muggles around.

He was just testing them for reliability when he heard a gasp and a voice. "What is that you're doing?! I'm calling a Priest, this isn't natural!" the dramatic voice exclaimed.

Draco jumped slightly and turned to look at the speaker and smirked. "Really? Is that what you think? I didn't know you converted to being a Muggle, Weasley."

Ginny laughed. "I just wanted to see your reaction." Then, she looked at him curiously. "I didn't know you lived in this building."

"I didn't know you lived here, either. Otherwise, I would have made sure that I chose a flat on the complete opposite side of the city," he grimaced.

"Oh, grow up, Malfoy. Honestly, you'd think we were twelve years old again," she rolled her eyes. "Well, it's been a lovely chat, but I need to get to the hospital." As she was walking past him, she said, "See you, neighbor," and she winked over her shoulder.

Then, Draco remembered someting. "Hey, Weasley." She turned to acknowledge him. "Where's your son? Daniel or David or whatever his name is."

"It's Darien. And Luna usually takes care of him when I go to work."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Loony Lovegood? You let _Loony_ Lovegood take care of your kid?"

Ginny rolled her eyes again. "Yes, I do. She's very good with children. She can always keep Darien amused with her _Quibbler_ talk. And don't call her Loony. She's my best friend. How would you like it if I called your Zabini friend something stupid like Zebra...beanie." He raised both his eyebrows at her and she sighed exasperatedly. "Yeah, I know that was really lame, but I'll come up with something better. Mark my words, Malfoy." She looked at her watch. "Oh, bollocks, I'm going to be late again. See you around, Malfoy."

"All right, Weasley."

At the end of the hallway, she turned around again. "Oh, and no more Loony jokes. I know where you live," she said jokingly, pointing her finger at his door.

Draco grinned lightly and nodded at her as she turned to walk away again.

As Draco walked to the Apparition point outside the building, he wondered why we wasn't as rude and cruel as he usually was toward a Weasley. He supposed because his father was dead that it didn't really matter anymore. Draco only acted the way he did towards them because it was what his father had commanded. So, subconsciously, Draco must have decided that things like blood purity and family name didn't matter. And that's why he felt free to think that Ginny Weasley was a beautiful and witty young woman.

Yes, he thought that Ginny was in fact beautiful. When he saw her at the Ball, he was momentarily shocked. The way her scarlet tresses fell around her creamy, angelic face. The amount of freckles on her face had reduced some, so it was a light sprinkle of cinnamon across her nose and cheeks. And Draco couldn't deny that she had a great body. When he heard that she had a child, he thought he must have a hearing problem because a woman with that great a figure could not have had a child.

The child...that was another thing. Draco couldn't fathom why anyone would abandon a newborn. That's why Draco donated a lot of his money to the orphanage and hospital so children can have better chances of having a family. Ever since the war, Draco had had a soft spot for children. There were so many kids that were left homeless and orphaned that it made him feel angry, extremely angry.

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Ginny was still chuckling as she Apparated to St. Mungo's. Her encounter with Malfoy was odd, yes, but she still found it entertaining. She wasn't sure when little Draco Malfoy, the bullying ferret, had grown up, but she was sure glad that he had. She also had no idea that he lived in the same building. Granted, Ginny did live on the seventh floor, and Draco lived on the third, but they were bound to run into each other sometime. And when they did, Ginny was surprised that his usual insults had a sort of teasing tone to them, like it was all in good fun. He also hadn't been that rude at the Ball, she noticed.

She also noticed how unbelievably gorgeous he was. In Hogwarts, he was considered cute, yes, but not handsome. When Ginny had seen him in his sharp tuxedo, she was floored. Sure, his features were sharp and a bit on the pointy side, but it suited him. And his hair. Oh Merlin, his hair. Ginny had wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through his hair, and she would immediately smack herself for thinking such things.

Most of all, Ginny was attracted to his eyes. From afar, they just seemed like ordinary grey eyes. But if you really looked, they were a brilliant silvery shade, with a ring of green around the iris. _Typical Slytherin_, Ginny thought with a laugh.

Oh yes, Draco Malfoy had definitely grown up.

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A/N: yeah i know it wasn't as long as the last one, but hey, i try.

thanks for reviews so far :D


	4. Superman was a Muggle

'Ello. Well, school starts for me on the fifth, so I prolly won't be able to update for a while. Hopefully this chapter will compensate.

and yes, i really like the chapter title for this one.

Chapter 4--Superman was a Muggle

"Blaise!" Draco yelled. "You're supposed to be on the main level! Where the hell are you?"

"Sorry, Dray! I was ... organizing!" Blaise called from the third level of the library. After Draco had opened it, he offered Blaise a job, because he was in desperate need of one. After the war, Blaise was left parentless and penniless.

"Organizing my arse," Draco muttered to himself.

Blaise slid down the banister of the vast staircase in the lobby and landed on his feet in front of Draco, and grinned. "Sorry, mate. I was in the middle of a conversation with the most beautiful witch in all of England!"

_Here we go again_, Draco thought to himself. "Yeah, well that's peachy and everything, but we have a donation coming in today, so we need to categorize and such," he told Blaise, looking down his nose at the dark-skinned male. "And stop using the fireplaces for your conversations with whatever-the-hell-her-name-is. I don't want any soot to get on the books."

Blaise huffed. "_Her_ name is Roxanne and I'll trust you to not insult her again."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Oh, Roxanne is it now? I thought it was Anabelle."

The darker man rolled his eyes. "No, Draco. Anabelle was last week. Merlin, I swear you have memory problems."

"And I swear that your commitment problems are worse than mine. Anyway, was that Roxanne you brought to the ball with you last night?" Typically, once they started to talk about girls, it generally took them a while to stop.

"Yeah, gorgeous, isn't she? And I think she might be 'the One'!" Blaise's eyes lit up.

"'The One', Blaise? Honestly you've said that about Anabelle, Rebecca, Shannon, Miranda, Tracy, Louisa..." he ticked them off his fingers. "Hell, I even think you said it about Pansy Parkinson," he grimaced.

Blaise punched him in the shoulder. "Yeah, well. I think this one is different from the rest of them. She's more...adventurous. She suggested that we go dragon hunting."

"Blaise, that's not adventurous. That's brain damage."

He sighed exasperatedly. "Honestly, Draco. I give up. At least I have a girl that I can brag about. I didn't even see you trying to make a move last night. You only talked to that Weasley bint."

Draco looked at him. "Yeah, but she's a fine looking Weasley bint. Wouldn't you say so?" he examined his nails.

"Yes, I think she's a fox. Now, tell that to Roxanne and I'll kill you, understand?"

Draco rolled his eyes at his antics. "Honestly, as far as I know you and Weasley will be dating next week." The very thought of such a thing gave Draco the slightest twing of jealousy.

Blaise must have noticed something because then he said,teasingly, "Don't worry, Draco. I won't take the Weaselette from you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You're attracted to her and if you ever saw me having something to do with her, you'd throw me off a building."

"No, Blaise, you're wrong."

"Oh, am I?"

"Yes," Draco stared at him with mock seriousness. "I would have someone else throw you off. I wouldn't do it myself, too dirty."

Blaise grinned triumphantly. "So, you admit that you're attracted to her!"

Draco scoffed. "It's not like it's hard. I mean, did you really see her?"

"Obviously, Dray, I'm not blind."

"Oh really? I wouldn't have guessed after you dated...what's her name? Oh yes, Maurine."

"Hey!" Blaise shouted. "Maurine was a very sweet lady. And she had _inner_ beauty!"

Draco held up his hands. "Okay, if you ever say something like that in front of me again I may have to throw _myself _off a building."

Blaise crossed his arms. "So are you implying that looks are everything?"

Draco shook his head. "No, not everything. Just a very important factor, I suppose." Blaise glared at him. "I'm not trying to be shallow, here. It's just how society works! Merlin, since when were you this sensitive?"

Blaise shrugged. "I don't know. I guess since after the war when I learned that material things such as looks, money, and power are about as consistent as the moon's phases."

Draco snorted. "Yeah, so are your relationships."

That earned him another punch on the shoulder. "So, are you going to see her again?"

"Who?" Draco played dumb.

"The Weasley, you imbecile."

"Well, I suppose. I mean she lives in my building--"

"What!?"

"Yeah, I ran into her this morning. It was quite funny, really." Blaise raised an eyebrow and Draco decided to elaborate. "Well, I had asked her about what she did with her son, yes she has a son, while she goes to work. So, she told me that she leaves him with Luna Lovegood, of all people. Then I made fun of Luna, Loony, and she tried to make fun of _your_ name and ended up calling you 'Zebra-beanie.'"

Blaise laughed boisterously. "'Zebra-beanie'? I honestly think that that is the funniest thing I have ever heard. I want to get a t-shirt made." His laughter settled down and he asked, "So when are you asking her out?"

"What? Blaise I haven't the slightest as to what you are talking about."

"I think you should ask her out. Not something fancy, just like a cup of coffee or something. Next time you see her, just say, 'Hey, would you like to get a cup of coffee sometime?' It'll be worth it, trust me."

Draco sighed. "As much as I hate to admit, a cup of coffee with the Weasley girl does sound nice." He shook his head vigorously. "Damn it all, I think you're rubbing off on me or something. Next I'll be paraphrasing Shakespeare."

Blaise just chuckled some more.

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Ginny walked into St. Mungo's and headed to the Delivery/Nursery wing. She grabbed her charts and scanned them briefly before scrubbing up; a woman was in labor and was due at any minute. She had been in labor for about two hours and these things could go as long as two days. As far as giving birth goes, they, the Healers, like to keep it strictly Muggle. If they used magic to speed up the process of getting the baby out, they could do some damage. One Healer who had experimented with it ended up delivering a baby with one ear, three eyes, and it was a Squib. To say the mother was mortified would be an understatement.

Four very long hours later, the mother gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl, named Sara. With a sigh, Ginny realized she had missed her lunch break, but decided to grab a cup of coffee before checking in at the Nursery. As she was walking back to her work station to get her charts, a young intern rushed up to her, frantically waving a scroll of parchment.

"Healer Weasley! This just came for you. On the outside it says 'Urgent' so I thought it best to get it to you as soon as possible!" the young girl blurted out. Ginny glanced at her nametag.

"Thank you, Leah, that was very good thinking. It's good to have a sharp mind in a hospital, you'll go far." She winked at Leah and the intern left, leaving Ginny to look over the note. She felt her stomach clench when she recognized it was Luna's handwriting on the outside. As she took a deep breath, Ginny tried to keep her thoughts from straying to Darien and if he was okay.

_Ginny--_

_I'm sorry to bother you at work, but I felt it prudent to let you know what happened._

_  
You see, Darien decided that he was a superhero of some sort and he dove off of the coffee table, headlong into the fireplace. I took him to St. Mungo's right away, and they healed him right up. So, we're currently in the Pediatrics Unit and they said that you can take Darien home and you can take the rest of the day off. _

_--Luna_

Ginny sighed with relief, but shook her head in disappointment. Not towards Luna, but towards Darien. She had told him numerous times not to jump off of furniture, so what does he do? He jumps into a fireplace, with his head!

She walked up to her supervisor, showed her the letter, and requested the rest of the day off. The older woman nodded sympathetically and wished good health upon her son. Ginny nodded gratefully and made her way out of the wing. On her way out, she saw Healer Sims walking down the hallway. "Healer Sims, how are you? I haven't seen you around in a while."

"Oh, Miss Weasley! It's good to see you again. Please, you can call me Annie," she smiled at the younger woman.

"Actually, I was wondering. Have you had any breakthroughs concerning the Paternity spell with Darien?" Ginny asked hopefully. Annie and a few others were casually trying to find the glitch but they hadn't had any luck so far.

"I'm afraid not, Miss Weasley. How is Darien doing, by the way?"

Ginny sighed. "Well, I'm actually en route to the Pediatrics Unit. He had a minor injury with my babysitter today. He's perfectly all right, now. Anyways, it was good to see you again." Ginny smiled as she made to walk away. "Oh, and call me Ginny."

Annie smiled and nodded. "It was good to see you too. And don't worry, we'll keep you updated, Ginny."

Ginny nodded her thanks and continued on her way to get her son.

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"Honestly, Darien. I don't know what you were thinking!" Ginny was currently admonishing him for his little dive outside of her and Draco's apartment building. She had lost her key and she couldn't buzz anyone to let her in because they were all at work. She sat on the stoop and pulled Darien into her lap. "You scared mummy, Darien. Don't do it again, okay?"

Darien nodded solemnly. "Okay, mum."

Ginny wrapped her arms around him and kissed his forehead. "I love you, Darien. Don't you ever forget that."

"I love you, too, Mummy." His words were muffled in her neck and he pulled back to look at her, his hands on her shoulders. "But really, Auntie Luna was watching this movie where this big man in a blue and red suit was flying all around the town and I wanted to see if I could do it."

Ginny grinned at him. "Well, Darien, that man you were talking about is Superman. And Superman was a Muggle, therefore he didn't have a broomstick, like we do."

Darien looked confused. "Does that mean all Muggles can fly without broomsticks?"

"Well, not technically. I mean, they have airplanes and things like that, but they can't fly like Superman, because he was from a different planet."

Darien's eyes widened. "You mean Superman was an alien?!"

"Mhmm," Ginny nodded with enthusiasm. "He was an alien, all right."

"What on earth are you talking about, Weasley?" a voice drawled.

Ginny looked up and was relieved to see Draco. She was relieved because now she could get into her flat instead of sitting in the heat. "Oh, thank Merlin you're here Malfoy!"

Draco smirked. "Yes, I know I'm wonderful and everything, but try to keep the admiration to a minimum. I don't want you causing a scene," he looked around as if self-conscious of people watching.

Ginny laughed at him. "Really, Malfoy. I was just glad because I lost my key and I couldn't get into the building. Now if you're willing to help, that would be great."

Draco saw his opening and seized it. "On one condition."

Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed with frustration. "Name it."

"Have coffee with me tomorrow."

Ginny eyes widened slightly. "Oh, um, okay, that sounds great." Then she laughed. "I can tell you all about Darien's little escapade this morning."

Draco grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

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A/N: I had fun writing this chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it.

and the whole fireplace thing, yeah my brother did that. he totally believed he was superman.

and i have a really good idea about the zebra-beanie thing...hahahahahaha

reviews are appreciated :D


	5. Ode to Chinese Food

hokay, i was hit by some inspiration and felt like writing this. enjoy!

and yes, i am having fun with these chapter titles.

Chapter 5--Ode to Chinese Food

The next morning, Ginny and Draco walked into the small coffee shop that was two streets over from their apartment building. Ginny laughed when Draco opened the door for her with a flourish and said, "After you, m'lady."

They found a table in the back corner, and Draco went up to the counter to order their drinks. When he came back with his cappuccino and Ginny's spiced chai, she frowned. "Draco?" she asked.

If he was surprised at her use of his given name, he didn't show it. "Yes?" he responded as he sat down.

"Where's my scone?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "What?"

"My scone, Draco, my scone! How do you expect me to drink this," she gestured towards her cup, "without a bloody scone?!"

People were looking over at the commotion Ginny was making and Draco hastily hushed her up. "Honestly, Weasley. I asked you out for coffee, not scones."

Ginny smiled innocently. "Oh, I know, I was just kidding around." She stared at him for a second before saying, "And yes, you did, technically, ask me out, so why can't you at least call me something other than 'Weasley'? I'm starting to feel like Ron," she shuddered.

Draco chuckled. "At least you don't look too much like him. Then we would have a problem."

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Is that a compliment?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, I'm secretly attracted to your oaf of a brother," he said sarcastically.

"Hey, that's not right." At his questioning glance, she said, "He's more of an ogre," before laughing at her own joke.

Draco laughed. "Can't disagree with that." He took a sip of his cappuccino. "So, what happened with Darien yesterday?"

Ginny sighed. "Well, you know how Luna was watching him yesterday." Draco started to snicker, so she smacked him on the arm, playfully. "Anyways, they were watching _Superman_, you know that Muggle movie about the guy who can fly? So, Darien decides that _he_ wants to try flying and proceeded to dive off the coffee table and into the fireplace. Head first, of course." Ginny shook her head and looked at Draco.

Currently, Draco was trying very hard to maintain a straight face. "That's just unfortunate, now isn't it?" he said with a strained voice.

Ginny huffed in annoyance. "Fine, just laugh it up, why don't you." After he got it out of his system, she said, "And since you laughed at that, you have to go buy me a scone. Now," she glared at him.

Draco rolled his eyes but got up and made his way towards the front counter, once again. When he came back, Ginny saw that her scone was half-eaten. She gave Draco a 'you-better-explain-this-now-or-there-will-be-pain-in-your-immediate-future' look and he laughed. "You never said that we couldn't just _share_ the scone. I decided that a scone sounded good, so I had a bite. Or two."

"Or five," Ginny snapped, jokingly.

"Well, hey, it's probably the best I've eaten all week. You should be happy for me."

"And why should I be happy that you've decided to take it upon yourself to mutilate my scone?" Ginny crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. _She looks very Slytherin right now_, Draco thought to himself.

"Let's just say that Hong Kong's Chinese is number one on my speed dial. I have about twenty containers of their food in my fridge."

"What?!" Ginny exclaimed. "You've been living off of dog food for Merlin knows how long?!"

"Keep it down, Ginny, jeez!" His eyes widened slightly as he realized that he had subconsciously said her name, and he looked up to see her with a semi-smug look on her face. "Anyway, yes I have been living off of Chinese food for the past week, or so. I can't cook, I don't have a woman to cook for me, and Chinese food is just _so good_." He had started to get this dreamy look on his face.

Ginny looked disgusted. "Of all the take out places there are in London, you have to go to the most disgusting one. And that stuff is very unhealthy. It's all full of sodium and," she shuddered.

"No, no, no. It's _wonderful_. I love the smell of new chopsticks as they pick up the sticky white rice, each grain bonded to the other. And the little cherries and pineapple pieces they put it in the sweet and sour chicken, it's like candy. And the lo mein with the tender noodles and little pink pieces of pork, that just brighten up the earthy toned ensemble of noodle and vegetable. And the--"

Ginny cut him off. "Okay, we can continue with 'Ode to Chinese Food,' or we can talk about something else."

Draco sighed, looking slightly put out. "Like what?"

"Like how you're coming to my place tonight and I'm going to cook you a real meal," she smiled at him. "But that was actually quite poetic. I think I might write it down," she laughed.

Draco scowled. "Oh, shut it, will you?" Then he brightened a bit. "And I'll take you up on your offer. But I have one question: Can you cook?"

Ginny looked scandalized. "Hello? _Weasley_!" she said, gesturing to herself.

"Meaning?"

Ginny sighed in exasperation. "Meaning that the two things that Weasleys are best at are cooking and eating."

Draco looked surprised. "Really? I thought they were overpopulating the wizarding world and being poor," he meant to say playfully, but it must have come out wrong, because Ginny lashed out at him.

"Oh, and I bet the two things the Malfoys are best at are killing innocent people and being absolute arseholes," she snarled.

Draco was about to fire up again when he decided to take a deep breath. "Okay, we can keep throwing insults at each other here, or be the mature adults that we are and talk about something...intelligent."

Ginny snorted. "Oh please, you're just saying that so I'll still make you dinner." She then looked a bit uncomfortable. "Sorry about what I said, heat of the moment, you know?"

Draco waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. And my apologies as well. I really meant to joke around, but I guess I went over the line."

Ginny smiled at him. "Wow. Draco Malfoy just apologized for making fun of the Weasleys."

Draco grinned. "Well, I guess I've revoked my old ways a bit." They heard the bell chime over the door, signaling that someone was walking in, and both subconsciously turned to see who walked in. "Oh, Merlin..." Draco groaned. He tried to hide himself, but his efforts were futile, because Blaise Zabini strolled over to their table and sat down.

"Hello!" he said cheerfully.

"Honestly, Zabini, don't you have anything better to do?" Draco said wearily.

"Well, good morning to you, too!" He heard a giggle and looked at Ginny, whose eyes were sparkling with mirth. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Ginny Weasley." She continued to look at him curiously, so he held out a hand. "Blaise, Blaise Zabini. Or I guess you would say 'Zebra-beanie,'" he said, chuckling.

Ginny then glared at Draco. "You told him that?"

Draco smirked. "What? I figured he had a right to know." He turned to Blaise. "So, what are you doing here?"

"You see, I was walking by this quaint little coffee shop, when something was reflecting the lamp light in here, and it temporarily blinded me. I thought it was somebody playing with a spoon in the light or something, when I realized it was your head. That thing is _bright_!"

Ginny laughed outright, earning a smirk from Blaise and a glare from Draco. "You seriously thought that was funny?" he asked her.

She tried to suppress her laughter, but to no avail. "That," she gasped, pointing to Blaise, "was funny!"

Draco self-consciously ran a hand through his hair and glared at the two of them. "Well, if you two are going to start ganging up on me, I might as well leave." He started to get out of his chair when they both protested.

"Draco, don't leave, it wasn't all that funny, really. I just felt bad for him because of his lame joke, and thought that I should laugh," Ginny said, smiling innocently.

Blaise was about to tell Draco the same, when he looked at Ginny, incredulous. "Really, woman. That was low," he said in mock hurt. Then he sighed dramatically. "I guess I'll leave, and pick up the pieces of my shattered ego which are currently strewn across the floor, here." He looked at Ginny, feigning hurt, with a hand over his heart. "You cut me deep."

Ginny smiled at him. "Well, if it's any consolation, I think you're bloody handsome," she said truthfully, as she took in his chocolate skin and high cheekbones.

She ignored Draco's look of incredulity when Blaise instantly brightened and grabbed Ginny's hand, before pressing it to his lips. "Why, thank you, madame. It is most unfortunate that we part now, but I swear by the moon that we will see each other again."

"Oh, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon!" she continued dramatically.

Draco stood up. "Okay, okay, enough! Honestly, the two of you seriously make me suicidal."

Blaise and Ginny laughed once more before Blaise bade them farewell.

"I like him," Ginny told Draco after Blaise had left. "He's funny."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I suppose he has that effect on people. Bloody twit," he muttered. They made their way to the exit.

Ginny tried to brighten his mood. "But, you see, I'm not making _him_ a homemade meal, now am I?"

Draco grinned despite himself. "So, what time should I be at your flat later?" He paused. "Wait, I don't even know which flat is yours."

"Well, my flat is #9B. And does around seven sound good?"

He nodded. "Yeah, sounds great. Is Darien going to be there?"

"Yeah, why?"

He shrugged. "I was just wondering. Aren't you working today?"

She shook her head. "Nope, I'm taking time off for Darien's injury. Although I'm really just having coffee dates with a bunch of Slytherins," she smirked. Ginny looked at her watch. "Oh, he's going to be up in about ten minutes, I should get back."

"I'll walk you," Draco said, before he could stop himself. "Well, I'm not working today either, and I guess I should get back as well.

"Thanks, that would be nice," she responded.

They walked in silence to the apartment building, stopping only when they reached Draco's flat on the third floor. "So, I'll see you tonight at seven," she said.

"Okay, see you then," he responded before kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Bye."

"Bye," she smiled, and continued on her way all the way up to the ninth floor.

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Just as Ginny was taking the Chicken Parmesan out of the oven, somebody knocked on the door. She glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that it was already 7:05. Grinning, she opened the door and said, "You, Mr. Malfoy, are late."

Draco looked at his watch and cursed. "Damn, five minutes. I knew I shouldn't have bought you those flowers," he said, holding out a small bouquet of morning glories, her favorite.

Ginny looked perplexed. "How on earth did you know that was my favorite flower?"

He shrugged. "I guessed."

"Creep," she mumbled, then brightened. "Well, come on in, I just took the chicken out of the oven."

She took her apron off and hung it on a hook in the small kitchen of her flat. Draco took in her appearance as she bustled about, setting the table and such. She was wearing black slacks and an emerald green sweater. His gaze traveled to her feet and saw that she had on bright pink fluffy slippers. She was also wearing light make up and her hair fell naturally. "You look nice," he told her.

Ginny looked up at him and returned the compliment. He was dressed casually in jeans and a light blue button down shirt, and his hair was amazing, as usual.

"I especially like your slippers," he said, smirking.

Ginny laughed. "Damn, I forgot I was wearing them." She briefly contemplated changing her shoes to something more formal, but declined. "Ah, screw it. I'm wearing my slippers!"

"You do that," Draco said, clearly amused.

Ginny then noticed the brown paper bag he was holding in his hand. "What's in there?" she asked, pointing to it.

"Oh," Draco had obviously forgotten that he was holding anything. "Well, I picked up a bottle of wine. Do you drink wine?"

Ginny nodded. "On occasion. Not much of a drinker."

"Ah, neither am I, but I thought it would be nice, I guess." He reached into the bag and pulled out a bottle of 2004 Da Vinci Chianti. He had never had it before, but Blaise swore by it. "Where's Darien? I picked up a little something for him, too."

Ginny looked surprised, then recovered. "Oh, he's in his room, reading."

"Reading?" Draco asked disbelievingly.

She laughed. "Yes, reading. I don't know, he's almost three and he can already read. There's something extraordinary about that child, I'm telling you. So, what did you get him?"

"A book, funnily enough. It's a little picture pop-up book about Hogwarts. I thought he might enjoy it."

Ginny's eyes sparkled. "Yes, he'll love that. Hold on, I'll bring him out here." She went down the hall and turned to a door on the right. Opening it, she asked Darien if he could come out and greet Draco.

Darien came out of his room and practically ran towards Draco. "Hello," he said, gazing up at him.

Draco squatted down to his level. "Hello there yourself." He grabbed the book. "Look, bud, I got you a little present. It's about Hogwarts, a magical place where you'll go someday to learn all about magic!"

Darien's eyes lit up and he took the proffered book. "Thank you Mr. Draco!"

"You can just call me 'Draco', bud."

Ginny watched the scene between Draco and Darien with amusement and admiration. She loved the way Draco described the book, as if he was a master in all things paternal. And Darien seemed really taken with him. She also liked how Draco already gave him a little nickname; 'bud.' It wasn't the most original, but it was still endearing all the same.

"Now listen, Darien. I heard what you did yesterday. You can't go off scaring your mother like that. Understand?" Draco said seriously. Ginny was shocked at how much of a father he was acting like.

Darien nodded. "Yes, yes I know. I think that Superman was stupid, anyway. I mean, he was a Muggle _and_ an Alien!" At that, Ginny laughed while Draco looked bemused.

"This is what we were talking about yesterday," she filled in. "I explained how Superman was from another planet, so that's why he was a Muggle who could fly. Darien said he was an Alien." She turned her attention to her son. "Okay, Darien let's get you washed up for dinner."

An hour later, two very stuffed adults and one sleeping toddler were sitting on the couch the small living area of Ginny's flat. "Ginny, that was probably the best Chicken Parmesan I've had in my life," Draco told her for the fifth time.

Ginny giggled. "Weasley," she said, as if it explained everything. She looked down at Darien who was curled up next to Draco on the couch, sleeping, and her heart melted. It was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen. Looking at her watch, she noticed that it was 8:30 and Darien should be in his bed. "Draco," she whispered.

"Hm?"

"Can you help me get Darien to bed? Just pick him up, he's not heavy." Draco frowned at her. "Oh, for heaven's sake. He's obviously comfortable where he is, and if you leave his side he'll wake up, unless he's in his bed with his teddy. C'mon, just pick him up."

"Fine," he said. He put his right arm around Darien's back and brought the left around under Darien's knees. The toddler automatically adjusted to the new position, snuggling right up against Draco.

"Aw," Ginny said. "Okay, he's the first door on the right, yep, right here." She opened the door and led Draco over to where Darien's bed was. "Careful, now, he needs to be next to his teddy."

Draco carefully placed him on the bed and quickly put the teddy in his place. Darien automatically embraced the stuffed bear and continued with his slumber. Ginny tucked the boy in and kissed his forehead goodnight. After turning on his nightlight, she closed the door behind her.

"You know, Draco, you'd make a great father some day," she told him honestly.

Draco grimaced slightly, but he couldn't deny it. He was drawn to Darien and he knew the feelings were reciprocated. Him and Ginny retreated to the living room where they sat down on the sofa with their glasses of wine.

"Did I ever tell you why Harry and I divorced?" Ginny asked him.

Draco shook his head, slightly uncomfortable. "No."

"Do you care if I tell the story or not? I just haven't had anybody to talk to about it and it would really help to get off my chest," she told him truthfully.

"Wait, you've been divorced for over three years and you haven't talked about it with anyone?" She shook her head sadly. "Ginny that's just not healthy!"

"I know, I know. It's just, I couldn't talk about it with Ron, because it was his best friend, same with Hermione. My mom didn't want to believe that we were getting divorced, so she's pretty much shunned me. And it's not something that my other brothers would take lightly. And, I don't know, I guess I would just like to talk about it now because I can trust you," she shrugged.

"How do you know you can trust me?" he asked her.

She smiled weakly. "The way you are with Darien. That's reason enough for me." She sighed, then began to tell Draco about how Harry was incapable of producing children, how it had devastated them both and her family, and the brutal divorce that followed. She had half-expected for Draco to poke fun at Harry's disability, but she was very proud when he didn't.

At the end of her story she was almost in tears; she didn't know if it was because of the wine or if she was really that emotional at the moment. She sniffled a bit, but she didn't cry. Draco still hadn't spoken a word.

Finally, he broke the silence. "I always knew Potter was too proud and arrogant for his own good."

Ginny snorted. "Oh, look it's the pot calling the kettle black."

Draco sighed. "Yeah, well at least I grew out of it. And, if I had a wonderful woman in my life, I wouldn't let her go because of a little obstacle like that." After he realized what he said, he averted his gaze and determinedly counted the bricks on the fireplace.

"You mean that?" Ginny's voice was faint. "That I'm a wonderful person?" 

Draco nodded and looked at her, before drawing her into a hug. He didn't know how long he held her, but she eventually drew back and told him that it was late.

Draco looked at his watch. "You're right." He sighed dramatically. "And I have such a long walk home, too."

Ginny smiled. "Well I'm sure you could get a cab or something so you won't have to walk all that way." She got up and escorted him to the door. As she was opening it, she told him, "We should do this again, sometime."

"Yeah," he nodded.

"On one condition: No Chinese."

He laughed before kissing her on the cheek again. "Good night, Ginny."

"'Night, Draco."

And with that, Ginny closed the door behind her, grinning to herself.

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A/N: wow i really don't know where i come up with this stuff.

so this is a pretty long chapter. weird.

also, the ode to chinese was written on the spot, i don't really write poetry about chinese food. i don't exactly like it all that much.

reviews are appreciated :D


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